An Investigation on Bilateral Asymmetry in Electrodermal Activity

Abstract

The Multiple Arousal Theory ( Picard et al., 2016 ) was proposed to explain retrospective observations of bilateral differences in electrodermal activities occurring in threat-related high-stake situations. The theory proposes different cortical and subcortical structures to be involved in the processing of various facets of emotional states. Systematic investigations of this effect are still scarce. This study tested the prediction of bilateral electrodermal effects in a controlled laboratory environment where electrodermal activity (EDA) was recorded bilaterally during normal activity and two stress-tasks in 25 healthy volunteers. A visual search stress task with a performance-related staircase algorithm was used, ensuring intersubjectively comparable stress levels across individuals. After completion of the task, a sense of ownership of an attractive price was created and loss aversion introduced to create a high-stake situation. Confirmation of the theory should satisfy the hypothesis of a bilateral difference in EDA between the dominant and non-dominant hand, which is larger during high-stake stressors than during low-stake stressors. The bilateral difference was quantified and compared statistically between the two stress-tasks, revealing no significant difference between them nor any significant difference between the stress tasks and the period of normal activity. Subgroup analysis of only the participants with maximum self-rating of their desire to win the price ( n = 7) revealed neither any significant difference between the two tasks nor between the stress-tasks and the period of normal activity. Although the theory was not confirmed by this study, eight cases suggestive of bilateral difference within the recordings were identified and are presented. Because the study is limited in using one of several possible operationalizations of the phenomenon, it is not possible to draw a general conclusion on the theory. Nevertheless, the study might contribute to a better understanding and encourage systematic review and hypothesis development regarding this new theory. Possible explanations and suggestions for future pathways to systematically investigate the Multiple Arousal Theory are discussed.

Evaluation of the Visual Stimuli on Personal Thermal Comfort Perception in Real and Virtual Environments Using Machine Learning Approaches

“…The pre-assessment displays a non-remarkable difference between the biometric data acquired on the two wrists. This condition is also verified by [60]. The asymmetries between skin conductance measurements on the left and the right side is not the key point of this research, but considering the so-structured dataset, it could be considered in future studies.…”

Lateralization of autonomic activity in response to limb-specific threat

“…Notably, with respect to the electrodermal-effector organ, the contemporary division of ANS function still preserves the idea that the skin receives homogenous sympathetic output signaling the need for motor preparedness (Blakemore and Vuilleumier, 2017; Fredrikson et al, 1998; Le et al, 2019). Yet there is a substantial body of research (e.g., Bjorhei et al, 2019; i Baque et al, 1984; Picard et al, 2016; Richter, 1927) demonstrating that asymmetric ANS responses — as measured by changes in electrodermal activity (EDA) — can differ between right and left body locations. One potential function of such asymmetry could be a limb-specific response to threat directed to one side of the body, challenging the assumption of global homogeneity.…”

“…In data from wearable electrophysiological recording devices (Ayzenberg and Picard, 2014; Poh et al, 2012; Poh et al, 2010; Sano et al, 2014), collected for the purpose of training computer algorithms to sense, recognize and respond to human emotional information (e.g., el Kaliouby et al, 2006; Picard, 2002; Picard, 2009), asymmetric EDA activity has been observed in response to specific types of emotional situation or arousal (Picard et al, 2016). This work has prompted a secondary resurgence of study on the lateralization of ANS outputs (e.g., Banks et al, 2012; Bjorhei et al, 2019; Kasos et al, 2018; Picard et al, 2016) primarily focused on understanding how data from wearable devices can be used to index biomarkers for mental health monitoring (Arza et al, 2019; Ghandeharioun et al, 2017; Greene et al, 2016; Mohr et al, 2017) and clinical impairment (e.g., autism, Baker et al, 2018; addiction, Carreiro et al, 2015a; Carreiro et al, 2015b; dementia, Kourtis et al, 2019). Stemming from this line of research, the multiple sources of arousal theory (Picard, 2015) points to evidence that asymmetric EDA activation can result from ipsilateral signals from “limbic” regions, in particular the amygdalae, linked to stress or emotional arousal.…”

“…In the context of canonical views of ANS functioning, however, – ANS activation as a mechanism to mediate metabolic resource allocation – there is no clear reason why centrally-mediated arousal requiring whole body-responses would elicit greater EDA activity lateralized to one side versus another. Yet, the underlying architecture of the autonomic nervous system is such that left-right signal variability undeniably occurs (Banks et al, 2012; Bjorhei et al, 2019; i Baque et al, 1984; Obrist, 1963; Picard et al, 2016; Richter, 1927). Interestingly, however, almost all previous work displaying asymmetric EDA has involved stimuli that elicit generalized states of arousal not requiring body-part specific responding (e.g., face perception, Banks et al, 2012; high vs. low impact stressors, Bjorhei et al, 2019; situational arousal, i Baque and de Bonis, 1983; Obrist, 1963; Picard et al, 2016).…”

“…Yet, the underlying architecture of the autonomic nervous system is such that left-right signal variability undeniably occurs (Banks et al, 2012; Bjorhei et al, 2019; i Baque et al, 1984; Obrist, 1963; Picard et al, 2016; Richter, 1927). Interestingly, however, almost all previous work displaying asymmetric EDA has involved stimuli that elicit generalized states of arousal not requiring body-part specific responding (e.g., face perception, Banks et al, 2012; high vs. low impact stressors, Bjorhei et al, 2019; situational arousal, i Baque and de Bonis, 1983; Obrist, 1963; Picard et al, 2016). However, it is unclear how asymmetric responding to generalized arousal could serve a functional purpose within the canonical role of the ANS – that of metabolic conservation - and thus it is unlikely that these stimuli are the primary developmental motivators of the observed lateralized architecture.…”